Destination Wedding Photography

Congratulations on your engagement, and thank you so much for visiting Dreamtime Images’ destination wedding photography site! I’m excited to hear more about your wedding, and perhaps document your once in a lifetime celebration.

Dreamtime is run by me, Nathan Welton, a former newspaper photojournalist turned wedding photographer in Colorado. Though I live in the mountains, I photograph destination weddings worldwide. My career has led me to shoot weddings across the United States, from California to the East Coast, on both coasts of Mexico, in Europe, and on islands and beaches throughout the Caribbean. Every time I photograph a marriage, I’m struck by how much of an honor and privilege it is to be there.

Popular wedding destinations I photograph include Aruba, The Bahamas, The British Virgin Islands (BVI), St. Lucia, Cancun, Cozumel, Costa Rica, Tulum, and San Miguel de Allende. Read more about the areas I cover here. Due to the time required to travel to the places I shoot, I generally do not offer single day event coverage for celebrations outside of Colorado. However, feel free to ask about this, as I will offer one-day packages for out of state couples depending on the season and location.

With nearly 50 lifetime awards from Fearless Photographers, the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers, and the Wedding Photojournalist Association, Dreamtime Images ranks up there with the top best destination wedding photography studios in the world. I’ve been shooting weddings full time since 2006, and part time since 2002. Time flies surprisingly fast, and now I’ve lost count of how many hundreds of events I’ve documented in the past decade.

The studio is on the preferred vendor list of many of Colorado’s best hotels — the Boulderado, the Vail Resorts, the Rock Resorts, the Sonnenalp, and may others. Last, my photography has appeared in most of the top publications in the industry: Destination I Do, Style Me Pretty, Town and Country, and more.

It has been an incredible last few years, filled with beautiful locations, incredible celebrations, and some of the the most fun brides and grooms — and guests! — I could ever have imagined. I love this job!

Vail Wedding Photography

Each year I photograph 60 to 70 percent of my jobs in Colorado (click here to see Colorado venues!) and specifically in the Vail Valley, and consider it my home away from my actual home. I love this place for many reasons, but the most compelling is the giant Gore Range looming on the horizon — it’s defined by the snow capped peaks to the north of I70 that provide the majestic views that the town’s so famous for. Add to that the world class hotels, unbelievable restaurants, and countless activities for guests, and you’ll understand why this little slice of paradise is a top place to get married in Colorado.

As I shot more and more in Vail early in my career, I began to forge really strong relationships with many of the valley’s incredible wedding vendors. There is a lot of talent in this little area, and you will certainly find many of the best planners, caterers, florists and design companies in all of Colorado all in one place. Please get in touch if you need any recommendations — I am happy to help point you in the right direction, particularly if you are looking for a vendor who excels at a certain style or has a special strength.

I should also note that due to my experience photographing Vail weddings, I was asked to partner up as a founding member of the Vail Wedding Association. The group is an invite-only membership, and only Vail’s most respected vendors are a part of it. In the Vail Valley, my favorite venues include Beano’s Cabin, Allie’s Cabin, the Beaver Creek wedding deck, the Park Hyatt, Saddle Ridge, Toscanini, and Spruce Saddle.

There are many incredible photographers in Colorado, and I feel lucky to be constantly inspired by my many talented colleagues. Even luckier, though, I get to live in a state that sports the prettiest cities in America: Steamboat Springs, Denver, Boulder, Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction.

These breathtaking locations play a major role in how I document weddings, as my photography takes advantage of Colorado’s natural beauty and unbelievable vistas. I believe where you choose to get married is an integral part of the wedding photos, since it speaks to who you are and what you place value on.

Anyway, thanks again for stopping by, and please have fun and get inspired for your big day as check out our site.

Wedding Planning Info

As you plan your destination wedding, it can be daunting to deal with vendors and venues abroad. You’re probably wondering where to get married, who can answer your questions, or if a particular international location is too far to travel for your family and friends. I’ve put together a location finder, which information, resources and photographs of many of the places you might be considering when trying to decide where to say your vows. I’ve also got some wedding pInspiration galleries, which have pictures that might inspire you as you get a better idea of what your wedding might look like. Have a visit and feel free to pin them to your own Pinterest boards.

You also might be wondering if it’s wise to book a wedding photographer you’ve never met. I definitely understand your concern! If I don’t live near you, fear not — I’m happy to set up Skype consultations in order to make your planning process as smooth as possible. The sessions are free, super easy, and a fun way to say hi if we are on opposite sides of the country.

If you’re concerned about knowing what the wedding albums look like, don’t worry about that either! I have a bunch of sample books I can show you over the video chat. Granted, you won’t be able to feel them, but you will get a great idea of what to expect, and will probably be blown away when the final album arrives on your doorstep. They are simply incredible. The more I shoot, the more important I think it is to deliver images in a tangible form — I shoot particular images with the final album layouts in mind, and I feel strongly that my clients deserve an incredible book on their coffee tables that they can look at any time.

As far as pricing goes for my destination wedding package, I offer just unlimited coverage for two days. I believe that most people are planning destination weddings for the same reason: they want to spent uninterrupted time with their closest family and friends. These celebrations are a joy to photograph because there is a lot of value placed on the time the people spend together, and these connections are what inspire me most.

My destination wedding coverage is fairly flexible, and typically covers some day-before activities, rehearsal dinner, unlimited day-of coverage, and often a short day-after trash the dress or bride and groom portrait session.

These trash the dress sessions are awesome for a number of reasons, the first being that we wind up with some simply awesome images because we have time to visit the coolest ruins, beaches, mountain tops, and scenic vistas around your site. Secondly, and maybe more importantly, doing a day after portrait session frees up a lot of time during the wedding day itself, which allows you to focus on hanging out with family and friends.